This invention relates to instrument racks, and in particular to a foldable, expandable, and an interchangeable assembly for supporting accessories such as microphones and cables to be supported and arranged about instruments such as drum sets, and the like.
Generally, many drummers use at least approximately five to approximately twelve microphone stands with boom arms. Also, the drummers need microphone cables that can be at least approximately twenty to approximately thirty feet in length for each microphone. For example, for a snare, hi-hats, three toms, a bass drum and overhead cymbals, up to nine or more individual microphone stands have been used. In addition for each microphone stand there is the requirement for individual microphone cables. For example, nine stands has required nine cables. Additionally, the traditional stands are difficult to pack up and move and further require substantial space for storage. The conventional individual stands and cables do not fold up together. Additionally, the time expense to set up and take down multiple stands and cables is an additional problem. Furthermore, the weight of the stands and cables adds a substantially extra burden for transporting and setting up the equipment.
U.S. Pat. No. Des. 305,026 to Wolf; U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,303 to Wolf; U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,789 to Eason et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,007,032 to Kuo, each show conventional type microphone stands. However, none of the patents allow for multiple microphones, nor provide any wrap around rack, nor support individual cables, and all suffer from all the problems described above.
Some attempts have been made over the years to support multiple microphones. See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,045,583 to Mills; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 384,077 to Frasse; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,599 to Tohidi. However, these patents are generally limited to single stands for holding up several microphones. The single stand cannot support multiple microphones that must be arranged at various vertical heights and horizontally about an instrument set such as a drum set.
Accessory type rails have also been proposed. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,579,229 to Porcaro et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,520,292 to Lombardi. However, these patented devices have rails with limited heights and lengths for directly mounting both the instruments and the microphones directly on the rails; Thus, the drummer is limited to the physical constraints of these rails for which to position both their microphones and their instruments. Both of these patents do not allow the user to customize different height and spatial type locations for their instruments and microphones. Both of these devices do not allow for extension arms with microphones to be added to the rails. Additionally, both of these devices would potentially require multiple outside cables arranged about the rails.
Other patents of interest known to the subject inventor that also fail to overcome the problems described above include U.S. Pat. No. Des. 327,211 to Tarshis et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,703,506 to Sakamoto et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,058,170 to Kanamori et al.
The primary objective of the subject invention is to provide a single rack unit for instruments such as drums for supporting accessories such as microphone stands and cables.
The secondary objective of the subject invention is to provide a single rack unit for instruments such as drums, which wraps about the instruments(such as the drum set).
The third objective of the subject invention is to provide a single rack unit for instruments such as drums, which can fold up for easy storage. The invention has extension boom arms that can swing and fold parallel to the main rack unit. The main rack units arms and legs can swing in and fold up so that the entire unit is in a bundle having dimensions of approximately four feet in length, approximately ten inches high, and be approximately ten inches wide.
The fourth objective of the subject invention is to provide a single rack unit for instruments such as drums that is lightweight. All the components of the single rack unit combined together can weigh approximately one fourth the weight of conventional type microphone stands and cables that are being replaced.
A first preferred embodiment can include a rack having up to four or more legs, and up to three or more horizontal support bars that are pivotally attached to one another so that the rack can be easily assembled and disassembled. Fasteners such as thumbscrews can be used to tighten the legs and horizontal bars to desired positions so that the rack can be arranged about an instrument set such as a set of drums. Various novel microphone stands can be attached to the horizontal bars and legs and be further extendable and bendable to selected positions as needed.
A second embodiment allows for the microphones to be easily attached to the rack by simple plug type connections such as but not limited to XLR connectors, and the like.